title: Effects of infant cereals with different carbohydrate profiles on colonic function--randomised and double-blind clinical trial in infants aged between 6 and 12 months--pilot study.
abstract: Infant cereals are often the elected foodstuff for beginning complementary feeding and provide carbohydrates which are different to those found in maternal milk. The objective of this preliminary study was to ascertain the colonic effects of two infant cereals, with different carbohydrate profiles, in a randomised and double-blind trial in healthy infants. Nineteen term infants between 6.3 and 9.8 months of age were enrolled, after written informed consent was obtained from parents. Ten subjects were allocated to take infant cereal A and nine, infant cereal B. An intervention period was 2 months, with five visits every 15 days, to take anthropometric measurements and faeces samples for the analysis of microbiota, short-chain fatty acids concentration (SCFA), pH value and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). An adequate growth and stool frequency was registered in both intervention groups. Faecal counts of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Clostridium and Bacteroides did not show any statistical differences. However, a significantly (P < 0.05) higher butyric acid and sIgA, and lower faecal pH were observed in infants who had ingested infant cereal A, with a higher ratio complex/simple carbohydrates. In conclusion, small changes in the carbohydrate profile of infant cereals could lead to significant differences in parameters related to fermentative activity of intestinal microbiota.
authors.affiliation: Global Technology Center For Infant Nutrition, Hero Group, Avda. Murcia 1, 30820, Alcantarilla, Murcia, Spain, mjose.bernal@hero.es.
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Periago
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ortuño
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Solís
authors.forename: Gaspar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ros
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abellán
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000378:metabolism; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000378:metabolism; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D064307:Microbiota; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory